Take me out of the ballgame,
Lock me in with the guards.
Trapped behind fences of razor wire,
I don’t think that I’ll ever get out.
And I’ll rot, rot, rot; hear the wind scream:
Lethal injection’s my end,
Murder one -- no -- plea deal -- you’re out!
Of the old ballgame...
-- Found scrawled in a corner of Parker Lam’s prison cell
On a cold, wintry night, in a prison yard ten minutes before baseball Hall-of-Famer and death-row inmate Parker Lam is scheduled to be executed, Parker is delighted his last request has been granted: a final visit from his old friend and teammate, Alex Mackenzie. But as the old friends reminisce, Parker realizes Alex isn’t visiting out of the kindness of his heart.
First conceived as a short screenplay sample for the 2006 Writer’s Arc Fellowship in Los Angeles, Take Me Out… has evolved into a taut, contained psychological thriller. Fascinated with the complex characters and primal story, creator Michael H. Harper kept returning to the script between other projects, rewriting and revising to craft a startling tale of friendship, betrayal and redemption.
Michael has worked on numerous commercials, web-based series and short films as an actor, writer, and assistant director. His recent experience as co-writer (with Take Me Out… producer Kelly Young-Silverman) and assistant director on the award-winning short film The Tedious Existence Of Terrell B. Howell invigorated Michael’s desire to start his own production company, Mad Mouth Media, and make his directorial debut with Take Me Out…
Parker will be brought to life by genre veteran Rob Pralgo, most recently seen as Mayor Richard Lockwood on the CW’s horror-drama “The Vampire Diaries”. On the other side of the fence, Alex will be portrayed by Stephen Caudill, who both produced and appeared in 2008’s zombie hit Dance of the Dead. Rob and Stephen’s real-life friendship was integral during the casting process, and has proved invaluable throughout rehearsals.
Behind the camera, most of the crew from The Tedious Existence Of Terrell B. Howell has happily agreed to work together again, volunteering their time and expertise to help Michael co-create this exceptional project. But even with the gracious contributions of dedication, drive, and ability from this incredible pool of volunteers, it takes money to make a movie.
The production still needs to pay for:
· lighting and sound equipment rental
· location fees
· production insurance
· craft services
· props (including a custom-made baseball card and bat)
· wardrobe (including baseball uniform elements and a full prison guard uniform)
· on-set special visual effects
· post-production (including sound design, color correction, and editing)
· output to DVD and other media platforms
· film festival entry fees (average of $40 - $50 per festival)
· marketing (posters, DVD packaging, lobby cards, etc.)
We, the filmmakers, believe that Take Me Out… can be a solid contender on the film festival circuit, a brilliant calling-card piece for the director, cast, and crew, and an enjoyable and poignant roller-coaster ride of filmic excitement. We’ve scraped together as much money as we can from savings accounts, birthday presents, family gifts, pawn shops, and loans from friends. We’re close; very close. But we need a little more.
That’s where you, the IndieGogo benefactor, can make a genuine and important difference; a qualitative and quantitative contribution to the creation of a stand-out film. Please check out our contribution schedule on the right side of the screen. The perks listed there are well worth the gift levels required, and range from a “Special Thanks” credit in the film to a working on-set visit and IMDb credit, to a chance to have lunch or attend an Atlanta Braves home game with the cast and director.
If you’re unable to give monetarily at this time, please help us spread the word about Take Me Out… As we get more people talking about the film, our chances for contributions increase, along with the odds for completing production.
And please visit the Take Me Out… production blog at: www.madmouthmedia.com; updates regarding the film’s entire production process will be posted regularly. We begin principal photography on November 19th, and will have our Atlanta premiere in January, 2011.
Thank you for taking the time to consider contributing to Take Me Out… For the filmmakers involved, it’s not only a personal passion project, but a truly special film. We’d love to have you join us!